Kat wanted to screamyesat the top of her lungs. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
She couldn’t stop thinking about his mother or what he meant by spending more time together. He hadn’t said he wanted her stay to be permanent. Only longer. As in a few days or weeks. But not forever.
“No need to answer now,” he said. “But think about it.”
“I will.”
The song ended.
He kissed her cheek. “We’ll talk and dance again later.”
The Duchess of Darbyton stood at the microphone. She wore a sparkly pink long-sleeved gown and looked beauty-queen gorgeous. “It’s time for one of my favorite traditions. The bridal bouquet toss. Will all single ladies please come onto the dance floor?”
Queen Louise leaned into the microphone. “The lucky woman who catches the bouquet will get a dance with my son, Crown Prince Guillaume.”
The duchess pulled the microphone stand toward her. “And a dance with my son James, the Marquess of Darbyton.”
As the two mothers sized each other up like professional wrestling opponents, excitement buzzed through the ballroom. Some women whispered. Others laughed. A few put on their game faces.
Kat watched in amazement.
Even royals went crazy over the bridal bouquet toss. Add in the extra reward of dancing with two eligible, titled gentlemen, and the women were ready to rumble.
She caught a glimpse of the film crew. Each was positioned around the edge of the dance floor—Brad in the front on the right, Dylan behind her, Conrad in the back on the left, and Wes in the front on the left. Funny, she’d almost think they were filming except they didn’t have cameras. Too bad they weren’t taping. Kat had a feeling it would make for entertaining viewing later.
She’d told Jojo she would go for the bouquet, but as women jockeyed for a prime spot, Kat stepped to the rear of the dance floor. Catching the bouquet might give the queen one more reason to dislike her.
She stood far enough away from where the bouquet would be tossed it would never reach her. Sophie had practiced throwing earlier in the week. The bride had never come close to this distance.
Grinning, Sophie stood on the dais in front of the orchestra. “Are you ready, ladies?”
The women shouted and screamed.
Sophie turned her back to them. “1…2…3…”
She tossed the bouquet high into the air. The flowers flew over the women waiting in the front with hands in the air.
Princess Rowena jumped for the bouquet and bumped into a countess, who stumbled and took out a princess and a baroness. The three landed on the ballroom floor with a thud, a grunt, and a squeal.
Rowena reached again for the bouquet only to have a duchess jump in front of her. Their hands collided and hit the bouquet like a volleyball. The flowers continued toward the back, soaring past fingertips and hands, until the bouquet hit Kat in the chest.
“Oh.” She couldn’t help but catch of it.
Clapping, Sophie bounced up and down.
The queen glared at Kat as if she’d somehow planned this when she’d done nothing of the sort.
Gill, Jacques, Jamie, and Bertrand helped up the pile of women lying haphazardly on the floor. No one seemed to be injured. A few women laughed, but not Rowena.
The princess asked Gill for help, which he gave her.
Back on her feet, Rowena straightened her gown, smoothed her hair, and then grabbed a glass of red wine.
Good idea, Kat thought.
She sniffed the bouquet. So pretty.
Rowena walked toward Kat. “Aren’t you the lucky one tonight?”
